Protesters Break into Microsoft's Amsterdam Data Center Construction Site to Chant 'Free Palestine'

A Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam was broken into by at least 100 protesters on Friday morning. The protesters flew a “Fuck AI” banner and chanted “free Palestine” among other leftist slogans. Around ⁠100 protesters made it onto ​the ​construction ⁠site, located just on the ​outskirts ​of the Dutch capital, according to a report by Reuters. Some of the protesters reportedly scaled a crane to display a “Fuck AI” banner, while others unfurled a “Microsoft powers genocide” banner on the construction site. They also chanted “Microsoft has got to go” and “Free Palestine.” The protest against the erection of three nearly 280 feet data center towers was co-organized by members of the Geef Tegengas group, a report by The Verge. Opposition to the facility arrives more than a year after Amsterdam imposed a ban on additional data centers until 2030, which itself followed a temporary stop announced in late 2023. The new data center will reportedly have Microsoft as its sole tenant, and and is continuing under plans dating back to 2016, prior to the ban. The facility, being built by British developer Pure Data Centres, has also found ways around some regulations according to critics. The protest in Amsterdam comes as voters in the U.S. also pushed back against the growth of data centers. Nonetheless, AI facilities are still proliferating across the United States, drawing opposition from residents concerned about the consequences for their communities. As Breitbart News reported, recent polling shows strong majority of Americans oppose AI data centers being constructed in their local area. In the midterm elections, 40 out of 41 data center moratoriums or restrictions passed across the country. In the first half of this year alone, opponents of AI data center construction have blocked or delayed a record number of projects worth nearly $130 billion. In Georgia, meanwhile, the state has been struggling to meet the growing water demands of AI data centers, as Atlanta planners have urged operators to prioritize community needs and reduce consumption — even as water usage varies widely across facilities. Last month, Microsoft scrapped the UK’s largest data center project, after after local electricity officials revealed the site would not be connected to power until the 2030s, the Verge noted. The software giant has been the target of additional protests beyond the incident in Amsterdam — specifically involving former employees. Last year, employees disrupted Microsoft’s 50th anniversary party to protest the company’s technology being deployed in Israel’s war against Hamas, resulting in 18 people being arrested. Around that same time, a Microsoft employee interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech at the company’s Build developer conference. Separately, the software giant also ended up firing two employees who had occupied its president’s office in protest. Alana Mastrangelo-Wrask is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.